BBC News has taken a look at each of the police forces ahead of the elections.

Hampshire Constabulary

Hampshire Constabulary is responsible for the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, covering 1,600 sq miles with a population of about 1.9m people.

Hampshire's make-up includes the major port cities of Portsmouth and Southampton as well as the historic city of Winchester and about more than 200 miles (322km) of coast.

Analysis

By Peter HenleyPolitical editor, South of England

With the largest helmet badge of any police force in England and Wales, Hampshire and Isle of Wight's police constables certainly stand out.

And they've got a big job to do - 220 miles of motorway and trunk roads, 253 miles of coastline, and whilst there are no major metropolitan areas, the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth in the south and towns Aldershot and Farnborough in the north see their fair share of serious crime.

Budget cuts mean reductions of 1,300 staff over five years. The headquarters building at Winchester is being sold to help meet £54m savings targets. But the force has the sixth lowest cost per head and is already merging dog units, firearms, roads and training with neighbouring Thames Valley Police.

Closure of rural stations and limited hours of opening have led to some protests. The force covers a wide range of diverse communities including the Isle of Wight and New Forest National Park.

The sheer variety of the policing challenge is demonstrated by two fictional Hampshire detectives, from the country crime tackled on TV by Ruth Rendell's Romsey-based Inspector Wexford to the gritty work of DI Joe Faraday in Graham Hurley's crime novels set in Portsmouth.

It is also home to the New Forest National Park and part of the South Downs National Park, which stretches into West Sussex.

The Isle of Wight is the largest island in England. It is largely rural, with more than 50 miles (80km) of coast.

The force has its headquarters in Winchester and it consists of 3,470 police officers, 1,896 police staff, 336 police community support officers (PCSOs), 525 special constables and 360 volunteers.

The number of officers in the force has fallen from 3,785 in 2010, while the number of volunteer special constables has risen from 420 in the same period.

In terms of the policing priorities, the force has said in its 2012-15 policing plan that a key priority is to deal effectively with terrorism, serious crime and other major challenges to public safety. Management of sex offenders and potentially dangerous offenders is also a priority.